What is Wrong With Battery Sellers These Days? [Rant]
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Joined: Nov 2007
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From: Maine
My dually has 2 smaller batts in parallel. They are getting drastically weak. I don't know off the top of my head the size, but what size do you guys get for 2 parallel batteries? It will have to do many cold starts... I'm guessing just adding the CCAmperage like a normal parallel circuit right? so x2 550CCA's in parallel?
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Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Tennessee
Hey guys just wanted to put my 2 cents in, I work for advance and we carry 31 series batteries "farm & truck" is on the label but thats what u want. 31-5 is what i'm running now, I got my battery from when i worked at oreilly's in TN its a Super Start 31-5 for around 70 so dollars. It does have a warranty and does an excellent job. I highly reccomend your local oreilly's over any other parts chain even advance. I've notice working there, that their will to care about a customers needs or potential needs just isn't there. The big thing I hate about it is now I'm associated with these guys you have to "Drag by their ears to show them the part you need"
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Joined: May 2008
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From: Oklahoma City
i ran my 91 on a reconditioned 800cca battery for two years. only time it wouldnt start was when it was -20 one morning and it ran the grid heater forever. it turned over but not fast enough to start. i then bought a new deka group 31 through my then employer for about $67.
being in socal i wouldnt have thought twice about running one from a parts store. 800-900cca would have been plenty.
being in socal i wouldnt have thought twice about running one from a parts store. 800-900cca would have been plenty.
And just because OEM says 1000 cca doesn't mean you have to put a 1000cca in, its just company standard to fit a wide varity of climates, People in CA, won't need 1000cca could probably get by with 850-950 cca, But people in Alaska would probably need More than 1000 CCA because it gets really flippin cold there, People in the midwest could get by with a 1000, It all depends on where you live and the climate.
I just love a good battery discussion er...argument--debate--opinion-pole--whatever.
I will say this, if one is going to go the "consumer" route when buying a battery for a diesel truck, one needs to lose the Mustang/Nissan way of thinking and seek said battery at sources where they are common as dirt and not thought of as unusual at all.
The Group-31 and Group-30 are the standard battery of the world, being used in more applications than all the rest of the batteries made; the Group-30 and -31 are the same battery with different post location; the -31 is centered along the top, whereas the -30 has the posts offset to one side of the top; EITHER will work for our application.
Either can also be had in the problematic lead-post like what came standard in these trucks, or the much superior 3/8" threaded "stud" post denoted by the addition of "S" such as Group-31S.
Probably 95% of the farm-tractors, combines, and such came factory-equipped with them.
I have never in my life seen a larger truck with anything else and usually at least three, with four being more common.
Log-skidders, track-hoes, well-pump units, etc., etc. almost every single one came factory equipped with either a Group-30 or -31 battery(s).
For this reason, the best quality, best prices, and best knowledge about these batteries is going to be found at either a tractor dealership, a big-truck parts supply, heavy equipment dealer, or one of the numerous "farmer-Walmart"-type stores, such as TractorSupplyStore(TSC), Rural-King, or the like.
There is absolutely no difference in one of these batteries from the International-Harvester supply or the KenWorth dealer; farm-tractor, back-hoe, or semi-truck, the batteries are the same.
Also, regardless of over-exagerated "modern technology", where diesel batteries are concerned, SIZE DOES MATTER.
No matter if a wimpy little "NASA-approved", "fits in a Honda" battery has 1250CCA, it is physically too small to have the "bottom" required to crank a recalcitrant engine and keep on cranking several minutes later.
Sure, the whiz-kid battery may act like it is going to sling the pistons through the heads, but it won't do it for long before it does no more than click the solenoid.
Until something definitely better comes along, the Group-31 is still the battery of choice for diesel applications.
I will say this, if one is going to go the "consumer" route when buying a battery for a diesel truck, one needs to lose the Mustang/Nissan way of thinking and seek said battery at sources where they are common as dirt and not thought of as unusual at all.
The Group-31 and Group-30 are the standard battery of the world, being used in more applications than all the rest of the batteries made; the Group-30 and -31 are the same battery with different post location; the -31 is centered along the top, whereas the -30 has the posts offset to one side of the top; EITHER will work for our application.
Either can also be had in the problematic lead-post like what came standard in these trucks, or the much superior 3/8" threaded "stud" post denoted by the addition of "S" such as Group-31S.
Probably 95% of the farm-tractors, combines, and such came factory-equipped with them.
I have never in my life seen a larger truck with anything else and usually at least three, with four being more common.
Log-skidders, track-hoes, well-pump units, etc., etc. almost every single one came factory equipped with either a Group-30 or -31 battery(s).
For this reason, the best quality, best prices, and best knowledge about these batteries is going to be found at either a tractor dealership, a big-truck parts supply, heavy equipment dealer, or one of the numerous "farmer-Walmart"-type stores, such as TractorSupplyStore(TSC), Rural-King, or the like.
There is absolutely no difference in one of these batteries from the International-Harvester supply or the KenWorth dealer; farm-tractor, back-hoe, or semi-truck, the batteries are the same.
Also, regardless of over-exagerated "modern technology", where diesel batteries are concerned, SIZE DOES MATTER.
No matter if a wimpy little "NASA-approved", "fits in a Honda" battery has 1250CCA, it is physically too small to have the "bottom" required to crank a recalcitrant engine and keep on cranking several minutes later.
Sure, the whiz-kid battery may act like it is going to sling the pistons through the heads, but it won't do it for long before it does no more than click the solenoid.
Until something definitely better comes along, the Group-31 is still the battery of choice for diesel applications.
I wish there was somewhere decent at hand when I needed this. I thought about TSC, Rural King, etc but couldn't find any in the phone book so gave up on that. It was better to shell out more on the battery than to risk junking the alternator, cause the alt costs as much as the battery did.
As for the ring connectors (this battery has both) you are right, the rings are far better than the dumb posts. But I have avoided screwing with that until I do the battery box upgrade, as I will be running new cable for that anyway.
Also, I am going to put an electric air compressor where the battery currently is.
So I said "Screw it, Autozone always sucks anyway."
tell me about it about a 2years ago i walked into one with a bad timing chain in my hand from my 84 w250, without me saying anything the lady behind the counter said "im sorry we dont sell motorcycle chains" i didnt even bother i just said ok thanks and headed to Napa, oh yeah and i get my batteties from Napa too
tell me about it about a 2years ago i walked into one with a bad timing chain in my hand from my 84 w250, without me saying anything the lady behind the counter said "im sorry we dont sell motorcycle chains" i didnt even bother i just said ok thanks and headed to Napa, oh yeah and i get my batteties from Napa tooAnytime I have went to buy seals or a gasket for anything, I dont think I have ever come out of there with the right stuff and rarely is it ever in stock. I almost always wind up going to NAPA for seals and bearings and stuff like that now.
There's a battery wholesaler that's open to the public in Corona, CA- Powerstride, I think... they have every size you could ever want. I got a Group 31 for my truck for free. Kind of. The were offering $3 to $5 for every core you bring in. I had almost 30 batteries from scrapped cars and golf carts; I loaded them into the bed, brought 'em down and got a new battery plus $22. 
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 69
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From: southern il.
all this talk about group 31's as the holy grail and then spend money trying to make horsepower, weight reduction is the cheapest horsepower you will ever make!! a set of 34/78 red top optimas will crank a cummins till the starter goes up in smoke and take 50 lbs off your overloaded front end over a set of 31's. as for the extra 50 bucks you spend buying them you will save that on the set of battery cables you don't have to replace because of the acid damage!!!
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 792
Likes: 30
From: Ontario, CANADA
I can relate, today I took my mother in law's Cobalt to the GM dealer to get a recall looked after, the service manager was about 21 years old. I asked a few questions and it was obvious he didn't know much about cars.
So I said "Screw it, Autozone always sucks anyway."
tell me about it about a 2years ago i walked into one with a bad timing chain in my hand from my 84 w250, without me saying anything the lady behind the counter said "im sorry we dont sell motorcycle chains" i didnt even bother i just said ok thanks and headed to Napa, oh yeah and i get my batteties from Napa too
tell me about it about a 2years ago i walked into one with a bad timing chain in my hand from my 84 w250, without me saying anything the lady behind the counter said "im sorry we dont sell motorcycle chains" i didnt even bother i just said ok thanks and headed to Napa, oh yeah and i get my batteties from Napa too
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 531
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Which is worse for you, when a guy grabs you by the nose or when a gal does it?
cheers,
Douglas
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